Be Brave
by amouretteelizabeth
Summary: Set after 1x16. After their almost-kiss, Happy isn't quite sure how to handle the situation. Cross-posted on Archive of our Own.


A/N: Trying to get back into the swing of writing. Here, have a silly little drabble. Did I title this after a Sara Bareilles song? Yes. Yes I did.

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Happy Quinn liked to smash things.

It's what she did when she was angry or upset. When emotions were high, it was her outlet; somehow, breaking things and putting them back together released the frustrating emotions. But this time was different - this time, it seemed as if no amount of smashing could get the frustration out. She had let her guard down. She had let Toby kiss her - well, almost kiss her. They had been millimeters apart when they were interrupted, and they hadn't spoken about it since.

Truth be told, Happy had no idea how to handle this situation. A motorbike with a faulty engine, or a machine that had been wired incorrectly were things she could handle.

This she could not.

Was this feeling of nervousness normal? Was it normal to feel like a weight of a thousand bricks was on her shoulders? If it was, she didn't like it one bit. All she knew was that that moment was on her mind all of the time, completely absorbing her attention and causing her to become more frustrated at herself, at Toby, at Ralph's teacher who had rudely interrupted the moment. It was utterly stupid of her to let herself get so caught up in her emotions. It was impossible, and she had no reasonable or logical thought on how to solve this problem flowing through her mind. If she could do that moment over, she would. She would've kissed him before the teacher had interrupted and they had to take off. Sadly, there was nothing she could do about that.

It was Monday morning, and Happy sat in her car outside the garage, drumming her fingers against the steering wheel as she desperately tried to work up the courage to go inside. She didn't understand why she was so scared, but after a few hours of researching the previous night, Happy had established that what she was feeling was perfectly normal. And she didn't like it.

Watching the door, Happy noticed Paige and Ralph walk up to it. Paige opened the door up for her son, and after they disappeared inside, Happy quickly unbuckled her seat belt and got out the car, slamming the door behind her. She practically ran to the door, letting herself inside. If anyone knew what to do, it would be Paige.

Eyes scanning the room, Happy found Paige. "Hey, Paige." Happy said, trying to sound relaxed and calm. "Good weekend?"

Paige eyed Happy for a moment before replying. "Morning, Happy," Paige paused, before nodding once. "Yeah, thanks. Ralph had a playdate with a girl called Sloan, she's a sweet kid. Also told me what Ralph did for her for Valentines day..."

Happy braced herself for what she was about to say next, but was pleasantly surprised.

"It was dangerous, but thank you for doing that for Ralph." Paige smiled at Happy, who returned a smile back at Paige. "He's a lot more confident around her now, it's so wonderful to see."

Happy simply smiled. "It was Toby's idea. I just put it all together." It had been his idea, after all. He was a bad influence on her, and she didn't mind one bit. "Paige, can I ask you something?"

"Sure Happy," Paige smiled brightly. "What's up?"

"Err," Happy paused, rubbing the back of her neck. "How do you, um, tell someone about your feelings toward them?" The internet had been extremely unhelpful in this department. The way Paige was looking at her made Happy have a suspicion that she knew who she was talking about. It was nerve-wracking, and she didn't like the pause Paige had taken before she answered the question.

"Just be brave, Happy." Paige said, placing a careful hand on Happy's shoulder. "Just open your mouth and let the words fall out. Don't over complicate things by over thinking them, it'll only make things more awkward."

Nodding, Happy mumbled a "thanks" before turning away and going to sit at her station, fiddling with a few of her tools before Toby arrived. She watched him walk through the door, leaving her seat almost immediately. Her stomach was tied up in knots, but she still had that butterfly feeling. _Be brave, Happy, _she told herself."Hey, Toby." She said, jogging to catch up to him. He stopped in his steps and turned to face her.

"Happy, about Friday I-" Toby started, but was cut off by Happy.

"Just shut up and let me speak," Happy ran her tongue across her bottom lip. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She couldn't find the words to say what she wanted to say. It was all too messy and complicated in her head.

Toby stared at her, his gaze meeting hers. Happy quickly looked away, trying urgently to gather her thoughts. "Hey," he said, placing his hand on her upper arm. "Look at me."

And she did, and this time she held the gaze, searching his eyes for something - she wasn't sure what it was, but something that told her that this wasn't going to end up in a big, giant, complicated mess.

Then she kissed him.

She closed the gap between them, allowing her lips to collide with his. He pulled her close, his hand moving to the back of her neck while the other moved to the small of her back to hold her close to him. Happy had to open her eyes twice to double check that this was actually happening, and the fact that it was made her smile into the kiss she and Toby were sharing.

It felt good. Better than good, it felt _right_. She was suddenly questioning why she had let fear control her, because now she knows she had never had anything to fear.

"Alright everybody!" Came Walter's voice, and they broke apart. "This weeks job..." His voice trailed off, and Happy listened to her friend talk, letting Toby snake his arm round her shoulders. Leaning into, she let out a calm and relaxed sigh. She was full of emotion, but a good kind.

The kind that didn't make her want to smash things.


End file.
